| Partnership for Food Safety Education

PFSE Staff Spoils BAC’s Summer Plans

April 26, 2015

Community event prepares a squad of junior BAC Fighters for summer

“Do you know what a germ is?”

That’s what we asked kids when they approached the Partnership for Food Safety Education’s table at the Koshland Science Museum on May 10^th, 2014. In “kidspeak” there is no standard definition for germ, but we were still impressed with their answers:

“Something that makes you sick!”

“It makes you throw up!”

“You can stay home from school!”

It was clear that they got the basic concept – germs can make you sick!

What they weren’t so clear on is how a germ can get into your body and make you sick. That’s where we stepped in to explain the basics of hand hygiene and safe food handling.

We showed them just how germy their hands were with a GloGerm demonstration and taught them the basics of clean, separate, cook, and chill using the BAC Drop Spring Story Contest and Perfect Picnic for iOS.

The kids were amazed at the ways a little germ they can’t see, smell, or taste might make sick. They left the event ready (and excited) to Fight BAC! with materials we gave them!

– Ashley Bell, Your B.F.F. (BAC Fighter Friend)

Yours for Children Inc. Supports Massachusetts Child Care Providers

April 26, 2015

Child care providers have a lot on their plates. In the ever- important field of caring for children, there’s always something else to learn! Yours for Children Inc. (YFCI) is dedicated to providing Massachusetts family child care providers with the skills and resources they need to keep their charges safe and healthy. Participating in the Child and Adult Food Care Program (CACFP) is free for family child care providers and along with education, providers get monthly reimbursements funded through the USDA for healthy meals served.

We caught up with Nancy Casten, a Nutrition Education Coordinator/Training Specialist at YFCI to find out how food safety education fit into their host of offerings. Nancy herself is often surprised at how little people know about food safety, so she realizes the depth of its importance for training child care providers.

YFCI presents a food safety training every year that culminates with a home study quiz to ensure the providers have a good understanding of the material. The organization encourages followers to share what they learn to amplify the number of people reached through the messages. Through the power of sharing, 1,000 providers could reach several thousand households with food safety information.

In addition to this training and quiz, YFCI does a newsletter to keep providers up to date between trainings.

At the Partnership for Food Safety Education, we also believe strongly in the power of sharing. This story is a good reminder that by sharing messages and working together, we can achieve a food safe America.

Food Safety at the Greater Boston Food Bank

March 26, 2015

GBFB is the largest hunger-relief organization in New England

Kendra Bird, the Director of Nutrition for The Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB), is responsible for the safety of nearly 40 million pounds of food that passes through the facility annually. GBFB is the largest hunger-relief organization in New England and among the largest food banks in the country. Kendra oversees menu and recipe design for the Kids Cafe program, which coordinates with the local Boys & Girls Clubs to feed 1,500 disadvantaged children dinner five nights of the week. She divides her time between nutrition education, food safety, and nutrition analysis of the massive quantity of food that passes through GBFB. Food safety education is integral to the mission of GBFB, and ensures nutritious food options for half a million people in need each year.

Big Y Foods’ Living Well Eating Smart Program Supports Consumers

March 26, 2015

“Living Well Eating Smart” is a nutrition program run by Big Y Foods registered dietitians, Carrie Taylor, RD, LDN and Andrea Samson, RD, LDN, to help their customers live the happiest, healthiest life possible. Living Well Eating Smart’s latest newsletter is full of healthy recipes, smart cooking tips and summer health information. It even includes a Kid’s Page that teaches children more about the importance of hand washing. By doing the “Soapy Solutions” experiment, kids can see for themselves how easily germs are spread and how necessary it is to use warm and soapy water to wash hands.

NC State University Cooperative Extension Teaches Kids to Fight BAC!

March 26, 2015

Melinda Houser Leads 4-H Program

Melinda Houser does her part to Fight BAC by teaching kids through the North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension Health Champion Challenge. In the 4-H program she leads, kids between ages 9 to 13 learn about everything from exercise to nutrition to food safety. For the food safety portion of the program, participants learn about safe food handling with a hands-on food preparation demonstration. The kids also get to use a black light to show where all the germs are lurking in the kitchen to drive home the importance of cleaning counter tops and food preparation areas. The Partnership for Food Safety Education thanks Melinda for her work to educate others about food safety!